Heirloom jewelry is a beautiful way to commemorate meaningful moments and to create a physical representation of the memories and the people that you hold dear. Choosing jewelry that you intend to become a new heirloom can be tricky, since it’s a piece that you’ll choose with the intention of it being worn for years to come. If you’re looking to pick the perfect heirloom piece, read on for the three most important qualities to look for in a modern heirloom.
What is Heirloom Jewelry?
Traditionally, heirloom jewelry is a piece of jewelry that has been passed down within the same family for generations. Here at LE we like to broaden that definition to include any meaningful piece that you wear regularly and eventually plan to pass down to someone you love.
What to Look For in an Heirloom Piece.
Longevity
The most important quality in an heirloom jewelry piece is longevity. You want this piece to last forever, and in order to last, it needs to be solid gold. Solid gold jewelry can be worn everyday and won’t tarnish from contact with water and sweat. Solid gold pieces can also easily be mended and resized by a local jeweler, which is great for prong set pieces that can loosen over time and rings that you may want to pass on to someone who’s a different size. When choosing what karat of gold you want in an heirloom piece, there are a few factors to consider. Are you concerned about an extra dainty ring band maintaining its shape? Choose a lower karat like 9k or 10k since these lower karats are extra strong. If you want a piece that’s extra shimmery and will maintain its brand new yellow gold appearance, choose a higher karat like 14k which is closer to pure gold. And if you’re focussed on affordability, a lower karat is the way to go for high quality pieces that won’t break the bank. If you still have some questions, you can learn more about the differences between karats of gold here.
Timeless Design
The most important quality in an heirloom jewelry piece is longevity. You want this piece to last forever, and in order to last, it needs to be solid gold. Solid gold jewelry can be worn everyday and won’t tarnish from contact with water and sweat. Solid gold pieces can also easily be mended and resized by a local jeweler, which is great for prong set pieces that can loosen over time and rings that you may want to pass on to someone who’s a different size. When choosing what karat of gold you want in an heirloom piece, there are a few factors to consider. Are you concerned about an extra dainty ring band maintaining its shape? Choose a lower karat like 9k or 10k since these lower karats are extra strong. If you want a piece that’s extra shimmery and will maintain its brand new yellow gold appearance, choose a higher karat like 14k which is closer to pure gold. And if you’re focussed on affordability, a lower karat is the way to go for high quality pieces that won’t break the bank. If you still have some questions, you can learn more about the differences between karats of gold here.
Meaning Jewelry
One of the most common questions we get asked by people shopping for heirloom jewelry is “How do I pick a piece that I know I’ll want to wear 20 years from now?” One of the best ways to ensure that you’re picking a piece that you’ll cherish forever is to choose something that has personal meaning to you. Pieces that are associated with a loved one, remind you of special moments, or that symbolize an idea that you hold dear are pieces you’ll always want to wear. Birthstone jewelry is a great way to represent all of your favorite people. Buying jewelry to commemorate an accomplishment or big life change is a perfect way to intrinsically link those special memories to a physical piece you can wear everyday. Finding pieces that symbolize personal mantras or beliefs are also great way to choose meaningful jewels, like dragonfly studs that represent the power of adaptability or crescent moons to symbolize a connection to the cosmos.
Searching for the perfect modern heirloom?
Our Family Gold collection was designed with the intention of creating affordable and accessible solid gold jewels to ground you in the present and pass down in the future. Shop solid gold jewelry from family gold.
